Though Trump claimed "there is no longer a nuclear threat from North Korea" following the Singapore summit, US officials cited by NBC News reported that the country is still covertly producing uranium for nuclear weapons.

High-level talks between the United States and North Korea appeared to hit a snag on Saturday as Pyongyangsaid a visit by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had been "regrettable" and accused Washington of making "gangster-like" demands to pressure the country into abandoning its nuclear weapons. "When we spoke to them about the scope of denuclearisation, they did not push back", he said.

But no details were announced on how or when the reclusive state would dismantle its nuclear program.

Suspending the drills cannot be compared, the statement said, with North Korea's irreversible destruction of an underground nuclear testing site - though some United States analysts have questioned the importance of that move, which was more symbolic than anything else given the relative ease with which new tunnels could be dug and the progress North Korea has already made in developing explosive nuclear devices.

Speaking alongside his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Pompeo said, "While we are encouraged by the progress of these talks, progress alone does not justify the relaxation of the existing sanctions regime".

"The North Koreans ... understand that President Trump needs a win; he needs to have a good story coming out of his high-risk diplomacy with North Korea going into his delicate and maybe-highly charged negotiations with the Europeans and the Russians next week", she added.

Pompeo downplayed a harshly critical North Korean statement after the talks in which the country's foreign ministry bashed hopes for a quick deal and attacked the USA for making unreasonable and extortionate demands aimed at forcing it to abandon nuclear weapons.

In practical terms, Pompeo mentioned only that officials from both sides would meet on July 12 to discuss the repatriation of the remains of some United States soldiers killed during the 1950-1953 Korean War.

"I am determined to achieve the commitment that President Trump made", Pompeo said.

And he said some progress had been made towards agreeing "the modalities" of North Korea's destruction of a missile facility.

Following the high-profile summit between the USA and North Korea, in which Trump and Kim took part in an historic meeting, President Trump appeared optimistic about the future of relations between the nations and spoke warmly of the talks between himself and Kim.